This application claims the priority of German application 197 17 041.2, filed Apr. 23, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a line-leading arrangement for a motor vehicle having a covering, particularly a rear lid but also for sliding roofs, sliding doors, engine hoods, etc., for a motor vehicle opening, with electric and/or fluidic subassemblies being arranged in the covering, and more particularly, to an arrangement for the connection of subassemblies arranged in the covering, at least one line being provided which, for this purpose, bridges a distance between a vehicle body part and the covering, the covering being movable between a first and a second end position, a pull-back device being provided which, for adapting the at least one line to the distance which changes during the movement of the covering between its two end positions, exercises a force on the at least one line, and the at least one line, with the aid of the exercised force, being displaced on the vehicle body side and/or the covering side.
In modern motor vehicles, various electric and/or fluidic subassemblies, such as rear lights of different types, brake lights, backup lights, fog lights, etc., antenna systems, sensor systems, or pneumatic consuming devices, such as control elements for a locking system or for a retractable handle, are integrated into the various coverings for motor vehicle openings, for example, into the rear lid or trunk cover. For connecting the above-mentioned subassemblies to a current or fluid supply or to a control unit, at least one line must be provided which, for this purpose, bridges a distance between a vehicle body part and a covering, and a line can be an electric cable as well as a fluid hose.
The bridging of the distance between the vehicle body part and the covering must also be ensured during a movement of the covering between its two end positions. For this purpose, in the case of known vehicles, for example, the Mercedes-Benz W 140 Series, the at least one line is led from a control unit or an electric or fluidic supply system within vehicle body parts, such as members or supports, and/or between the vehicle body parts and vehicle body panelling parts to an opening with a vehicle body lead-through. From there, the at least one line is led through the vehicle body lead-through to a hinged lever which is part of a rear lid hinge. Subsequently, the at least one line is led within the hinged lever to an opening with a covering lead-through in the covering and/or a covering panelling part, where the at least one line enters the hollow area of the rear lid and is further distributed to the subassemblies. Normally, the lead-throughs are constructed as rubber bushings.
In the known construction arrangement of the swivel hinges are arranged in the so-called wet area may be seen as disadvantageous. That is, in an area in which, when driving through rain, more and more water will collect, the at least one line is increasingly subjected to stress caused by weather-related influences (moisture, coldness), which results in a faster material fatigue, and the above-mentioned openings in the vehicle body parts and in the covering tend to corrode. Also, with multipart swivel hinges, which carry out more than a simple rotating movement, there is the danger that the at least one line is squeezed and/or bent.
DE 38 72 735 T2, for example, discloses a line arrangement for a motor vehicle having a covering for a motor vehicle opening pivotally connected on the vehicle body side. For the connection of subassemblies arranged in the covering, at least one line is provided which, for this purpose, bridges a distance between a vehicle body part and the covering. The covering is movable between a first and a second end position, and a pull-back device is provided which, for adapting the at least one line to the distance which changes during the movement of the covering between its two end position, exercises a force on the at least one line. The at least one line with the aid of the exercised force, is displaced on the vehicle body side or the covering side. No measures are provided for preventing damage to the at least one line, particularly a fluidic conduit, as the result of squeezing or rubbing on an edge, and this may be perceived as disadvantageous.
An object of the invention is to provide a line-leading arrangement for a motor vehicle having a covering for a motor vehicle opening to avoid the above-mentioned disadvantages.
According to the present invention, this object has been achieved by providing that the at least one line, with the aid of the exercised force, is guided along an ideal course through a vehicle body lead-through and a covering lead-through such that the permissible bending load of the at least one line is not exceeded.
A basic concept of the present invention resides in constructing the at least one line to be displaceable on the vehicle body side and/or the covering side for the adaptation of at least one line to a distance between a vehicle body part and a covering which changes when the covering is moved between two end positions. For the displacement of the at least one line, a pull-back device is provided which exercises force on the at least one line. Thereby, it is advantageously ensured that, for bridging the distance between the vehicle body part and the covering, the at least one line is led in a tensioned condition along an ideal course.
The ideal course need not correspond to the shortest connection course between the vehicle body part and the covering but only ensures that the permissible bending load of the at least one line is not exceeded, and that the at least one line does not rub against edges or similar points, in order to avoid damage to the at least one line. As the result of the tensioned condition of the at least one line, the at least one line is prevented from loops in which objects may become hung up which may also result in damage to the at least one line. The distance between the vehicle body part and the covering is the distance between a vehicle body lead-through and a covering lead-through through which the at least one line is led.
For guiding the line, in addition to the pull-back device, a depositing space is provided for receiving a certain excessive length of the line. By way of the effect of force of the pull-back device on the at least one line during the movement of the covering from a second into a first end position, this line excess is pulled back into the provided depositing space. During the movement of the covering from the first into the second end position; for the release of the line excess from the depositing space, the force effect of the pull-back device on the at least one line must be overcome.
The pull-back device and the depositing space may be arranged on the vehicle body side within the vehicle body and/or between the vehicle body and a vehicle body paneling part or, on the covering side, in a hollow space of the covering and/or between the covering and a covering paneling part. In the vehicle-body-side arrangement, the at least one line is displaceably constructed in the vehicle body lead-through and is fixedly constructed in the covering lead-through. In the covering-side arrangement, the at least one line is fixedly arranged in the vehicle body lead-through and is displaceably arranged in the covering lead-through.
According to a particularly advantageous feature of the present invention, the pull-back device and the storage space are integrated in a housing. The housing is arranged on the vehicle body side in the trunk between the vehicle body and a vehicle body paneling part. The housing can, however, be arranged in a hollow area of the covering or between the covering and a covering paneling. As a function of the arrangement of the housing, the at least one line is constructed to be displaceable either in the vehicle body lead-through or in the covering lead-through, whereby the vehicle body lead-through or the covering lead-through may be constructed as part of the pull-back device. As the result of the effect of the force of the pull-back device on the at least one line, this line always remains tensioned, and a squeezing and/or bending of the at least one line during the movement of the covering between its end positions is almost avoided.
The above-described present invention allows the line guiding of the at least one line to be carried out independently of existing hinge devices and to therefore always take place in the dry area of the vehicle. Thereby, the at least one line is not exposed to weather influences, and a premature material fatigue is avoided.